‘Right to trade in liquor is not fundamental right’
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Dec 28: Observing that Excise Policies were framed from time to time in the most arbitrary and irrational manner just to benefit those who had access to the corridors of power and without any focus on revenue generation, a Division Bench of the High Court comprising Justice Rajesh Bindal (Acting Chief Justice) and Justice Sanjay Dhar has issued directions for framing of new Excise Policy strictly in accordance with the Jammu and Kashmir Excise Act and the law laid down by the Supreme Court on the subject.
Moreover, the Division Bench has upheld the show-cause notices issued in respect of 60 vends for cancellation of their temporary licenses and struck down those clauses of the Excise Policies for the years 2017-18, 2018-19 and 2019-20 which provide that grant of new licenses will be for a period of five years and validity of the existing license will be five years.